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Fab Freelance Writing Ezine - Issue # 11: How To Get Started As A Ghostwriter



Publisher: Angela Booth.

Copyright 2006 Angela Booth

All rights reserved.

Blog: http://www.fabfreelancewriting.com/blog/

Site: http://www.fabfreelancewriting.com


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* Issue # 11

* Date: December 20, 2006

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Includes:

* Editorial: Ghostwriting

* Freelance Writing Tip Of The Week: Warm Up Before You Write

* Writing Resource: Your Local Library

* Article: How To Get Started As A Ghostwriter

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[Editorial] Ghostwriting



Hi, welcome to this week's issue.

This week's article, "How To Get Started As A Ghostwriter", pulls back the curtain on the secret world of the ghostwriter. Enoy :-)

This is our final issue for 2006. Happy Christmas, and happy 2007! Watch for your first Fab Freelance Writing Ezine issue of 2007 early in the New Year. I hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday. When you need a moment alone, enjoy my Holiday Season Writer's Gift Pack. It's packed with goodies to ensure that 2007 is your best writing year ever AND it helps you to diversify -

http:////gift/holiday.html

Affectionately

Angela

P.S. If you're looking for additional holiday reading, check out the blogs, listed below. They're updated several times a week.

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** Great Holiday Reading: My Blogs **



Read my blogs for help and inspiration:

* Angela Booth's Writing Blog, at http:////

* Fab Freelance Writing Blog, at http://www.fabfreelancewriting.com/blog/

* Blogging For Dollars Blog: http://www.dollars2blog.com/blog/

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* Freelance Writing Tip Of The Week: Warm up before you write



John Steinbeck warmed up for a writing session by writing letters. You can warm up by doing writing exercises, blogging, or by writing in your personal journal. I like to combine all three.

Warming up your writing helps you to avoid burnout. When you're writing for money, it's easy to become stressed. Try warming up before you write every day. There's a bonus: I often find myself writing about something in my journal weeks or months before I start a project. My journal helps me to decide whether an article or a book has potential.

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** The Unlimited Writing Market, The Web **

When you write for the Web, you're never out of writing work. All Web sites need writers, and as the competition online grows, site owners hire writers to improve their sites.

The writing world in general hasn't caught up with the Web. Now, YOU can -- and you can cash in. Freelance writers just don't realize how much money there is to be made by writing for the Web: many writers use the Web as a research tool, they don't see the Web as a mass of millions of markets. They don't realize that Web sites are STARVED for good writers.

Want to get paid REAL money to write? How does $120 an hour sound to you? Discover how to write for the Web today:

http://www.//Web_Write/Web_write.html

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* Writing Resource: Your local library



Everything's online, right? No, it's not - not by a long shot. Visit your local library, and check out the resources. No matter where in the world you live, your library is a valuable writing tool.

Many large libraries offer tours. I last took a tour of the State Library of NSW in 2003 (http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/) , and I learned something new, even though I've been using the library for 30 years.

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** Your Blog: Your Vital Sales And Promotions Tool For 2007 **

Gotta blog? My ebook, Writing Success with Blogs by Angela Booth, helps you to take the first steps into the new world for writers: instant publishing on blogs.

Your writers' blog is your must-have branding tool. It also has a very practical use - it's a writing portfolio. From the ebook: "Before editors will pay you to write, they want to know that you can write. They want clips - copies of material you've published. This seems like a Catch-22: you can only get published if you've been published. Your writing on your blog can be in lieu of clips. Your blog lets editors gauge your abilities and style, before they put down the cash."

The book helps you to create your own writer's bog:
http:////page11/Blog%20book/page16.html


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* Article: How to Get Started As a Ghostwriter



(c) Copyright 2006 Angela Booth. All Rights Reserved.


A ghostwriter writes for other people. "Ghosting" is fun and lucrative. The only drawback is that you don't get your name on your work, except in very rare instances, when an "as told to" credit is given. A ghostwriter writes articles, books, speeches, and resumes. Ghostwriters who write books earn around $10,000 to $50,000 per book.

It's easy to find ghostwriting work, and once you get several clients, people tend to pass your name around, so that you don't have to go looking for work.

Ghostwriting articles, speeches and books is a form of copywriting, and you'll get most of your work from business people. The easiest way to get started is to let business people know that you're available. Keep an eye on your local newspaper. Whenever you see a business person being interviewed, send them letter or make a phone call to let him or her know that you are available to ghostwrite articles, speeches and other material for them.

In your letter, include sentences like: "If you have no need of my services at the moment, please feel free to pass my name on to others. If you'd like to chat, I'm available on_________" Your aim is to make yourself sound friendly, approachable, and business-like. You don't have to write a long letter. Just a short note is fine, if you have a website include your URL, and if you don't have a site, say that you would be happy to send some writing samples.

You can also get ghostwriting work from outsourcing companies like elance.com. However, if you visit outsourcing sites, be careful not to under-price your work. This is because the prices you charge say a lot about you, and if you get into a rut working for low-paying clients, you won't have the time or energy to look far higher paying clients. This leads to burn out.

The easiest way to get ghostwriting gigs is to have your own Web site, and offer ghostwriting services there. Although you'll need to promote your site so that people can find it, your Web site is your 24 x 7 salesperson for your ghostwriting services business.

Ghostwriting Tips



Ghostwriting has pitfalls for the inexperienced. Here are some tips:

* Always have an agreement. Never write ANYTHING without an agreement. While few people are dishonest, many people have unreliable memories. If you are new to ghostwriting books, get a lawyer to draft your first agreement. Any project with a fee over $10,000 requires a professionally drawn contract;

* Insist on access to the person you're writing for. If your client is a celebrity or business person, getting access to get the information you need can be difficult. Include sentences in your agreement to cover access, such as: "I need information to write for you. This means that I will need at least X hours of your time to complete this project. You understand that failure to grant this access means termination of this agreement. Any retainer and fees already paid are non-refundable";

* Don't make promises that you can't keep. The publishing industry is a mystery to outsiders. Don't promise that someone's memoir will definitely be published by a major publisher. Unless you've been hired to ghostwrite the memoirs BY the publisher, you have no control over publication. You can of course offer to send pitch letters to publishers (make sure you get paid for this) but don't promise publication;

* Don't get shoved into unworkable time lines. To outsiders, writing seems much, much easier than it is. Bland statements like "This will be easy for you, I'd write it myself but I don't have the time," should start ringing alarm bells. Stand firm on a deadline that YOU know you can meet, or walk away;

* In the same vein, remember that you're a professional - you know writing, the client doesn't. If your client is famous, don't be intimidated. You know what you need from the client to do a good job: make sure you get it.

So there you have it - your introduction to the wonderful world of ghostwriting. Some writers make ghostwriting a complete career, others make it a highly paid sideline. Many people need ghostwriters, and after you've done a job or two, demand for your services will grow.

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** Freelance Blogging: Fun, Easy and VERY Profitable **

Want a new freelance writing career? Become a freelance blogger.

I've been blogging since 2001, and for the past 12 months I've been swamped with offers of blogging gigs, and so have other freelancers who are highly visible on the Web. Blogging has huge returns on investment for businesses, so they're hiring bloggers to update their blogs each day - often several times a day.

My new ebook, "Blogging For Dollars: How to become a career blogger -- in your PJs, if you want", teaches you how to blog for money:

http:////Blog/blogging.html

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Get the latest freelance blogging news on Blogging For Dollars Blog at:

http://www.dollars2blog.com/blog/

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YOUR PRIVACY

Your privacy is important. You've signed on for this ezine in good faith. Thank you. I will never betray your trust by making the subscriber list available to others.

Contact Angela at: angela.booth@gmail.com

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